Folding bed.



PATENTED JAN, 17, 1905. L. F. GEHR.

FOLDING BED.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 18. 1904.

- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JAN. 17, 1905.

L.F.GEHR. v FOLDING BED.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1904.

3 BHEETBBHEET 3.

5 s v u M l w 0 m W Z Z 5 m 5 am 4 d. f k m .1. W 2 9 5 w A WHIFLW/IIM#M Z%//////4 1 b J 6 5 A a or '4 M 5 J 5 2 MN 2 Cioiir UNITED STATESPatented January 1'7, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

FOLDING BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,419, dated January1'7, 1905.

Application filed April 18, 1904:- Serial No. 203,664:-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LLEE F. GEHR, a citizen of the United States, residingat Mechanicsburg, in the county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Beds; andldo declare the following to be a'full, clear, and exact descriptionofthe invention, such as i will enable others skilled in the art towhiehit appertains to make and use the same; This invention relates. toimprovements in folding beds.

The object of the invention is to provide a combined folding bed,wardrobe, and cabinet which when closed will be an attractive andornamental aswell as a useful piece of furniture. Y A further object isto provide a folding bed and case of this characterwhich may be quicklyopened and arranged to form a comfortable bed, provision being also madefor the disposition of the bedclothing when the-bed is in folded orclosed position.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,-as will be'more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the.appended claims. a In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a frontelevation of a combined cabinet and wardrobe containing the folding bed.Fig.2

is a vertical sectional View on the line 2 2 of- Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asimilar view showing the bed unfolded and-opened for use. Fig. L is avertical sectional View on the line 44: of Fig. 1.

' Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the bed removedfrom the case and in open or unfolded position. Fig. 6 is a top planview of the bed, parts being broken away to more clearly show theconstruction of certain of the parts. Fig.7 is a verticalcross-sectional View on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8

is a fragmentary detail sectional view through the end board of one endof the bed, showing the arrangement of the springs for holding the endsof theside rails in place. Fig. 9 is a detail horizontal section throughthe lapping ends of one of the side rails, showing the manner ofconnecting the same together.

. to the same, as shown.

Fig. 10 is a detail vertical sectional view of the same.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the case, whichis here shown as divided intotwo main compartments 2 and 3.Thccompartment 2 is arranged in the form ofa clothes-press or wardrobe,in the upper end of which is secureda shelf 4 and in the lower end adrawer5. This compartment is closed by-a door 6, in the front of whichis arranged a mirror 7. The compartment 3 is adapted to contain thefolded bed and is pro- .vided at its upper end with a shelf 8 to receivethe pillows and bed coverings when the bed is in closed or foldedposition. This comp'artment isclosed by a door '9, in the ripper portionof which is formed a cabinet'lO, containing shelves for the reception ofmedicinebottles, thus forming a medicine-cabinet, or,

if desired, the same may be used for other purposes, such as a bookcase.A glazed door 12 is provided for this cabinet and is hinged Below thecabinet 10 in the lower portion of the door may be arranged dummydrawers 13, of which there may be any desired number, two being shown inthe drawings. I

The compartment 8 is adapted to receive the bed 14: when the same is infolded position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The bed 14 consistsof head and. foot sections 15 and 16, which are connected together byjointed side rails 17. The head and foot sections are similar inconstruction, each consisting of end boards 18, the upper edges of whichmay be made ornamental, if desired. To the end boards 18 are securedinwardly-projecting side pieces 19, to the inner sides of which arepivoted the ends of the side rails 17. Onthe inner faces of each of theend boards adjacent to the side pieces 19 are secured spring-catches 20,with which the ends of the side rails 17 are adapted to be engaged tofirmly hold and lock the ends of said rails and said head and footsections together when the bed is an extended position. In order thatsaid spring-catches may be disengaged from the ends of said rails topermit the same to be folded to close said bed a releasing mechanism isprovided for each end section, said releasing mechanism consisting of acrank shaft 21, pivotally woven wire. Theends of the bed-bottom aremounted on the inner side of the head and foot sections. On the ends ofsaid shaft are formed l l l adapted to be wound on the rolls 37, whichare held against casual retrograde movement downwardly-projecting cranks22, the ends by pawls or dogs 39, pivoted to the side rails of which areengaged with the upper free ends of the spring-catches, as shown.

On the crank-shafts 21, midway between the ends of the same, are formedinwardly-projecting crank-arms 23. To the end of the arm 23 on thecrank-shaft of the head-section is connected a cord or other flexibleconnection 24, which passes downwardly and under a pulley 25, mounted onthe lower inner face of the head-section, and from thence said cordpasses rearwardly and over a pulley 26, mounted on the inner face of thefoot-section and has its end attached to an eye 27, secured to the'innerside of a plate 28, which is slidably mounted in the end board of thefoot-section, as shown. Said eye is adapted to work through a slot inthe inner side of said end board. On the outer side of the sliding plateis secured an outwardly-projecting lug 29, which projects through andworks in a slot 30 in the outer face of the end board. The crank-arm 23on the crank-shaft of the foot-section is also connected to the eye 27by a short link or rod 31, so that when said sliding plate 28 isactuated to force said eye downwardly the crank-shafts 21 on both thehead and foot sections will be rocked to cause the cranks on the ends ofthe same to simultaneously force said spring-catches out of engagementwith both ends of said side rails.

The side rails 17 are each formed in two parts or sections, the' innerends of one of said parts or sections overlapping the other, as shown.In the inner ends of the sections of each rail is formed a series ofbolt-holes 32, through one of which in each adjacent railsection ispassed a bolt 33, whereby the parts or sections of said rails arepivotally and adjustably connected together. At the end of each of theoutside sections of the rails is arranged a detent or catch 34, which issecured by a flat leaf-spring 35 to the end of said outside rail, asshown. The lower ends of each of said detents or catches 34 is beveledoff, as shown at 35, and above said beveled end on the inner edge ofsaid detents are formed notches 36, whereby when the pivoted lappingends of said rail-sections are brought down into a horizontal positionthe beveled end of said detent will engage the inside rail-section andbe forced outwardly thereby until the notches in the detents arereached, when the springs 35 will force said notches into engagementwith said inside rail-sections, and thereby lock the two sections ofeach rail together.

Between the rails 17, adjacent to the head and foot boards, are arrangedrolls 37, the shafts of which are journaled in the ends of said rails.To said rolls are connected the ends of the bed-bottom, which may be ofany suitable fabric, but is-preferably formed of adjacent to one end ofsaid rolls and adapted to engage the teeth of a ratchet-wheel 38, formedon or fixed to said end of the roll.

To stretch the bed-bottom, the detents and spring-catches of the siderails are released and the ends of said rails forced slightly upward attheir center. The bed-bottom is now wound as tightly as possible on oneor both of said rolls, after which the side rails are forced down andlocked by their detents in a horizontal position, thus lengthening thedistance between said winding-rolls, and thereby stretching the fabricof said bed-bottom.

If desired, suitable casings may be arranged to cover the crank-shaftson head and foot boards, said casings being left off in the d rawmgs tomore clearly disclose the parts. The

head end or section of the bed maybe secured within the compartment 3 ofthe casing in any suitable manner or may be left free, as shown,

' so that the bed may be entirely removed from the compartment. Casters(not shown) may also be secured to the end sections, whereby the bed maybe rolled around the room.

To fold the bed, the detents 34 on the ends of the outside rail-sectionsare disengaged from the inside sections, after which the lug 29 isdepressed by the foot to rock the crankshafts 21 and disengage thespring-catches 20 from the ends of the side rails, when the head andfoot sections of the bed may be pushed toward each other, therebyfolding the side rails together, as shown in Fig. 2. To open the bedagain, all that is necessary is to pull the head and foot sectionsapart, which will cause the'side rails to unfold and the ends of thesame spring into engagement with the spring-catches on the head and footboards, and the detents or catches 2% will spring into engagement withand lock the pivoted lapping ends of the rails together, as hereinbcforedescribed.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accon'i'ianying drawings,

the construction and operation of the invention will be readilyunderstood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resortedto without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the ai'lvantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. A bed comprising head and foot sections, overlapping side railspivotally connected to said head and foot sections, and pivoted togetherbetween the head and foot sections, spring-catches secured to saidsections to engage the ends of said side rails to lock the latter inhorizontal position, means to disengage said catches from said siderails, operatingcords connecting said disengaging means and a movableelement carried by one of the bedsections and to which saidoperating-cords are operating-cords for releasing said springcatches,rollers having their bearings in said side rails, means to turn saidrollers, means to lock them against reverse rotation, a bed fabrichaving its ends connected to the respective rollers, spring-catchescarried by the end sections to engage the side rails and lock them inextended horizontal position and means to simultaneously disengage saidspring and catches, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a casing, of a bed adapted to be folded intosaid casing, said bed comprising head and foot sections, jointed siderails pivotally connected to said head and foot sections, spring-catchessecured to said sections, to engage the ends of said side rails to locksaid rails in horizontal position, a shaft mounted on the end boards ofsaid head and foot sections, cranks formed on the ends of said shaft toengage said spring-catches, crank-arms formed on said shafts, and meanswhereby said shafts may be simultaneously rocked to cause thecrankson-the ends of the same to release said spring-catches from engagementwith said rails, substantially as described.

4. The combination With a casing, of a bed adapted to be folded intosaid casing, said bed comprising head and foot sections pivotallyconnected together by side rails, said rails being formed of sectionsthe inner ends of which lap one over the other, a series of holes formedin the inner ends of said sections, a bolt adapted to be insertedthrough a pair of said holes whereby said ends may be adjustably pivotedtogether, ,a spring catch or detent carried by one of said rail-sectionsand adapted to be sprung into engagement with the adjacent sectionswhereby said sections are locked together, means arranged on said headand foot sections to lock the ends of said rails, and means forreleasing said looking mechanism, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a casing, of a bed adapted to .be foldedinto-said casing, said bed comprising head and foot sections, jointedside rails pivotally connected to said head and foot sections,spring-catches secured to said sections to engage the ends of said siderails to lock said rails in horizontal position, crankshafts andoperating-cords for releasing said spring-catches from engagement withsaid rails, rolls revolubly mounted inthe ends of said rails, abed-bottom secured to and adapted to be wound on said rolls, and meansfor preventing a retrograde movement of said rolls, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

7 LEE F. GEHR.

Witnesses:

STELLA R. STEUART, W. R. BARR.

